Going #AllinforJeb

Why I’ll be voting for Jeb Bush in 2016

On April 26, 2016, I’ll be casting my vote in the Maryland Republican Primary Election for Jeb Bush, the former governor of Florida. It’s a decision that I’ve put a lot of thought into, and I thought I’d share my reasoning.

Reason #1: He’s an adult Catholic convert

I found my faith in Christ and one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church as an adult. I converted in 2010, shortly after the birth of my first son, and the experience of my faith journey, eventual conversion, and of my day-to-day life as a practicing Catholic have shaped who I am as a person.

For his part, Governor Bush converted to Catholicism ~20-years ago, after losing his first election for governor of Florida. And by all accounts, it had a similarly transformative affect on his life, both personally and in his approach to public policy.

In a March 2015 New York Times article, he described his faith in this way:

“As a public leader, one’s faith should guide you,” Mr. Bush said in Italy in 2009, explaining his attitude about the relationship between religion and politics at a conference associated with Communion and Liberation, a conservative Catholic lay movement.

“In the United States, many people think you need to keep your faith, put it in a security box, if you’re an elected official — put it in a safety deposit box until you finish your service as a public servant and then you can go get it back,” he added. “I never felt that was appropriate.”

…

“You hear people say, ‘I don’t want to impose my faith,’ ” Mr. Bush told the newspaper The Florida Catholic days after leaving office in 2007. “Well, it’s not an imposition of faith. It’s who you are.”

That article, and his comments in it, have really stood out to me over these past months. They echo the teachings of Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia, which he outlined in his book Render Unto Caesar: Serving the Nation by Living Our Catholic Beliefs in Political Life—a book that I read during my RCIA in 2010 and which has really shaped my worldview and politics since my conversion. Those common experiences—the adult conversion and the approach to living our faith in public life—give me a great deal of comfort and confidence in Governor Bush’s philosophical approach to governing, which (I believe) is far more important to grok than a candidates specific position on a particular issue.

I should say, of course, that Governor Bush is hardly the only Catholic running for the Republican nomination for the presidency. Indeed, there are several well qualified Catholics seeking the nomination, and all of them share my faith and conservative worldview. But it’s Governor Bush’s faith journey, which parallels my own, that connect most personally with me, and that counts for a lot.

Reason #2: He is committed to restoring federalism and the Tenth Amendment

As an undergraduate at McDaniel College, I wrote my senior thesis—a 40-page footnoted research paper—that sought to describe how reinterpretations of an amendments to the Constitution have dramatically altered the way in which the several State Governments and the federal Government interact. It was, and probably remains, the most substantive piece of research and writing I have ever undertaken, and the process of researching and writing it—reading primary source material from the Founding Fathers (including many who you rarely hear about in high school history books), Supreme Court caselaw, etc.—shaped my understanding of our Constitution, checks and balances, and the role of the federal Government.

The destabilization of the balance of power between the States and the federal Government is at the root of most of what’s wrong with Washington, today—and we need to address it head on.

We need a president who understands the crucial role that enumerated powers doctrine and the Tenth Amendment play in shaping—and restraining—Congress and the presidency. And in this campaign, Governor Bush is the only candidate who’s talking about this issue at all.

Just today, Governor Bush’s campaign released a long-form issue statement about “The Tenth Amendment Presidency,” outlining why the Tenth Amendment is important and how a Bush administration would use the policy making power of the presidency to restrain the federal government and restore power to the states. The whole time I was reading it I found myself vocally cheering, nodding my head, and thinking “where do I sign up?” (The answer is here: https://jeb2016.com/volunteer/)

Reason #3: He’s a relatable guy on the trail

One of the knocks you’ll hear about Governor Bush is that he doesn’t alway say the right thing. He’s not pitch perfect on the stump every time. He doesn’t always nail his delivery at the debates. Etc. Okay. I can relate to that.

Presidential campaigns operate in a fast-paced, unforgiving media environment, and in that sort of environment every tiny sign of humanity is amplified as a micro-failure or gaffe. In actuality, Governor Bush—as a candidate—is a lot like how I’d hope to be if I ever entered public life: he’s thoughtfully spoken, he’s honest, and he’s a bit longwinded. But these aren’t character flaws, nor do they make him a bad candidate. They’re human qualities that—when experienced in person—help him shine through as an authentic, relatable guy.

Don’t believe me, just watch how giddy he gets when he gets a question from someone in the audience about NASA and the space program. He’s like a kid in a candy store.

The Bottom Line

Governor Bush is a guy who loves people, enjoys public service, and wades into the details. Though he’s often portrayed as a moderate, he has one of the strongest conservative records of any candidate in the race. He’s proved that he has the temperament, the determination, and the know-how to get real results as governor of Florida.

With the rise of Donald Trump—a man who is neither a conservative, a Republican, or a presidential leader—threatening to undermine the very fabric of our republic, this election couldn’t be more important. We need to choose a man of character with a record of leadership in public service to lead us through these trying times, and former Governor Jeb Bush is that person. And those are the reasons why I’ll be supporting him for the Republican nomination for President of the United states.

If you were persuaded by this article—or even just intrigued by it—I’d encourage you to sign up to follow Governor Bush’s campaign at https://jeb2016.com/